Correct
His ministry involves speaking out against sin, and helping others in need around the world, and doing so with boots on the ground - not in front of a camera, on some fake television set.
Posted on 08/19/2016 9:19:02 AM PDT by amorphous
Metro Vancouver Christians are colliding over the coming crusade of televangelist Franklin Graham, who is known for criticizing homosexuals, Muslims and U.S. President Barack Obama.
Saying that Graham is often “incendiary and intolerant,” some evangelical Protestants and Roman Catholics are opposing his participation in the three-day Festival of Hope event at Rogers Arena in early March, 2017, that many of the city’s mega-churches are supporting .
“Rev. Graham is a polarizing figure … His ungracious and bigoted remarks have the potential to generate serious negative impact on the Christian witness in Vancouver,” says a statement from five prominent evangelical and Catholic leaders (see full letter at bottom).
“We … denounce the frequent incendiary and intolerant statements made by Rev. Graham, which he unapologetically reiterates,” said the letter, signed by Marjeta Bobnar of the Catholic archdiocese, City in Focus president Tom Cooper, Tenth Church pastor Ken Shigematsu, Calvary Baptist pastor Tim Dickau and First Baptist pastor Tim Kuepfer.
Franklin Graham, son of 97-year-old retired televangelist Billy Graham, has said homosexuals are “the enemy” and will “spend eternity in hell” if they don’t repent.
While attacking Obama, Graham has called Islam a “very wicked religion” and argued that Muslims shouldn’t be allowed into the U.S.
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Some of the large, often ethnically mixed evangelical congregations in Metro Vancouver that are endorsing Graham’s crusade include Willingdon Church, Westside Church, Coastal Church, Broadway Church, Glad Tidings Church, Holy Trinity Church and Richmond Pentecostal Church.
Earning more than $1 million a year as an evangelist and head of the charity Samaritan’s Purse, Graham led a crusade in Toronto in 2014 that was attended by 40,000 people of diverse ethnic origins.
After the Toronto event, Samaritan’s Purse terminated a Canadian volunteer because she refused to sign a standard statement opposing abortion and homosexual marriage.
Rev. George Wong, head pastor at Evangelical Chinese Bible Church in Burnaby, one of many congregations training volunteers to work at Graham’s crusade, said “the last thing we want to do is promote hate.”
Graham “is not coming to Vancouver to preach against homosexuality, but to preach the gospel,” Wong said.
Saying he was unaware a Christian group is opposing Graham’s involvement in the Festival of Hope, Wong didn’t want to comment on Graham’s statements about gays and Muslims, other than to affirm “the gospel is for people from all walks of life.”
In North Vancouver, another endorser of the Festival of Hope, Valley Church Pastor Owen Scott, declined to comment on the controversy other than to say, “I know Franklin is not the same as his dad. His dad is a pretty gracious person.”
In an interview from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association headquarters in Calgary, David Ingram said his organization “never expects 100 per cent support for one of our festivals.”
Noting that a relatively small number of evangelicals and Catholics signed the dissenting letter, Ingram said, “I wouldn’t want a few people who are opposed to the festival to overshadow the wide support for it.”
Ingram said leaders of many churches and ethnic groups are backing Graham’s crusade. Maintaining that protest letters can be divisive, Ingram asked whether The Vancouver Sun and The Province planned to publish an article about the inter-Christian disagreement.
While the opposition statement was signed by Catholic ecumenical relations official Bobnar, Paul Schratz confirmed the archdiocese also formally declined an invitation to take part in the Festival of Hope.
“Initially we were supportive of next year’s event, since it was intended to draw a large number of people to hear the gospel and grow closer to Jesus,” said Schratz, spokesman for the archdiocese, which includes more than 400,000 Catholics.
“While we obviously acknowledge Mr. Graham’s zeal in preaching the Gospel we had second thoughts about participating when we noted that American evangelicals, whom we were trying to work with on this event, were criticizing Mr. Franklin for various comments and stances that didn’t promote religious tolerance.”
The formal letter of opposition to the Festival of Hope’s leadership committee was signed by Christian leaders in Metro Vancouver whom the Billy Graham Association had asked for endorsements, including Cooper, Shigematsu, Dickau and Kuepfer.
Cooper, president of City in Focus which specializes in ministering to business people, said those who signed the letter “were willing to provide suggestions for an alternative speaker. But the Festival of Hope leadership committee was content with having Reverend Graham give the major talks.
“We therefore, reluctantly, decided we could not endorse this event. We understand that we are just one of many evangelical and orthodox voices and there will sometimes be disagreement.”
Christ is polarizing.
Last I checked, God has not changed His position on homosexuality. These are not Christians.
The Bible talks of it being sin and God seeing it as an ABOMINATION.
That is Christianity and Jewish religion as well.
But, both say love the sinner, but reject the sin.
Despite gay being the only sin that has parades in your face, at least peaceful Christians and Jews are not by religion ordered to attack and kill like the Koran and Islam.
It’s sad to hear Vancouver “Christians” worship Sodomy, Satanists and Shysters.
I hate to say this, but Franklin has turned out to be much more conservative, and Christian, than his father, who became an ecumenist’s wet dream.
Sounds to me like a very Canadian solution. Churches object to Graham appearing at event. Event organizers listen to them but decide to keep Graham despite their objections. Objecting churches withdraw from the event. Nobody is suing anyone. Nobody is picketing. Nobody is appearing on “Rachel Maddow” to say how wrong it is. No muss. No fuss. Life goes on.
Amen.
Anyone who denies this has clearly never read the Scriptures.
“Saying that Graham is often “incendiary and intolerant”
I’m a bit incendiary and intolerant myself. I don’t like folks hiding behind a religion while they behead or blow other people to smithereens.
Faggies have huge influence in Vancouver, which is kind of the S.F. of Canuckistan.
Do others find it as interesting as I do how much those who rant against Christians today closely mirrors the manner Christ predicted they would?
Are they incapable of seeing the irony?
Franklin Graham seems to be more of a doer of good works, not a tv personality. To the extent he's on television, it's usually because he's being interviewed by a news personality about some good project his ministry is organizing.
Yes...when living there in 98/99 I heard atrocious stuff about some fags teaching kids.
So far I’ve never heard Franklin ever say anything “bigoted” — is that communistic “code wording” now for “Christian?” — or what? Franklin is a good preacher and speaker- these folks sound like they could really benefit from hearing him. But.not everybody wants any kind of Biblical message. Pearls and such, Matthew 7:6
Correct
His ministry involves speaking out against sin, and helping others in need around the world, and doing so with boots on the ground - not in front of a camera, on some fake television set.
I too find it strange that Franklin is considered a “televangelist” he is anything but. I happen to live in the Vancouver outskirts area and my church would welcome Franklin Graham with open arms as he teaches the gospel and may the chips fall where they may. Too often the Vancouver mainstream churches here are all about feeling good without doing any teaching. All the Vancouver churches cater to the homosexuals after all we must have one of the largest Homosexual parades in north america. It is very much like SF that way. Vancouver is one thing but the evangelical church is growing dramatically in the surrounding areas.
Hmmm. If I recall correctly Jesus was a "polarizing figure" while He walked the earth and His message is still polarizing to this day. So Rev. Graham should accept that as a badge of courage and a blessing from Christ Himself.
only to those who do not know the truth and are deceived by the adversary
You got a Bible verse for that?
Jews, according to the Bible, are "antichrist". I discovered this jewel when reading through the Bible:
"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also." (1 John 2:22-23)
Jews deny Jesus Christ. ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE that makes them ANTICHRIST.
I bring this up not because I have animosity toward the "Jews", but to point out that they need saving too. Being a Jew does not make one a child of God. Only believers have been granted that privilege (John 1:11-13)
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